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AHL Rochester Americans

Rochester Americans Game Preview: Wednesday, October 23 vs. Hershey Bears

October 23, 2019 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


TONIGHT'S GAME OVERVIEW

- The oldest rivalry in the American Hockey League will be renewed tonight in Rochester when the Amerks (3-2-0-1) welcome the Hershey Bears (4-2-1-0) to The Blue Cross Arena for the only time this season. The puck drops on the 459th all-time meeting between the league's oldest teams at 7:05 p.m. with all the action being carried live on live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester as well as AHLTV.

LAST TIME OUT

- After falling behind in a three-goal deficit to the Utica Comets during the first period, the Amerks were never able to recover as they fell 7-1 Saturday night at the Adirondack Bank Center.

- Tage Thompson provided the lone goal of the night for the Amerks with his third of the season from Sean Malone and Brett Murray, who also made his pro debut for Rochester. Goaltender Andrew Hammond (3-1-1) made his fifth appearance of the campaign in the crease, making 24 saves before being replaced by Jonas Johansson with 6:43 remaining in the third period.

ROAD AHEAD FOR ROCHESTER

- The Amerks hit the road again as they square off against the Syracuse Crunch in a North Division showdown at The War Memorial Arena on Saturday, Oct. 26. After the 7:00 p.m. tilt with the Crunch, Rochester closes out the weekend with a 5:05 p.m. clash with the Springfield Thunderbirds on Sunday. Both games can be heard live on The Sports Leader AM 950/95.7 FM ESPN Rochester.

EARNING POINTS EARLY ON

- Rochester has earned seven out of a possible 12 points overall through the first six games of the 2019-20 season. All but one have been one-goal games, including a pair of wins beyond regulation. The Amerks are just one of two teams (Texas Stars) in the AHL this year to appear in three games that have been decided in the extra session and are the only team having won one game in overtime as well as a shootout.

UKKO-PEKKA LUUKONEN JOINS THE AMERKS

- The Buffalo Sabres reassigned rookie goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to the Amerks on Sunday. Luukkonen was named the Ontario Hockey League's Goaltender of the Year and Most Valuable Player for the 2018-19 season after posting a 38-11-2 record with a 2.50 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and six shutouts in 53 games for the Sudbury Wolves. He led the OHL in wins, save percentage and shutouts while also setting a Sudbury franchise record for most wins in a season with 38. He made his pro debut with the Amerks on April 14 of last season, stopping 32 saves in Rochester's season-ending 4-2 win at Belleville to pick up his first pro win.

THOMPSON TORMENTING THE OPPOSITION

- Despite being held off the scoresheet twice through the first six games of the season, Tage Thompson has totaled 17 points (11+6) over his last 17 games with the Amerks dating back to last season, including the two goals he scored in the first round of the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs against the Toronto Marlies.

- More impressively, Thompson has scored nine goals in just 14 career regular-season games with Rochester, surpassing the total he set over a 30-game stint with the San Antonio Rampage during his rookie season in 2017-18. The third-year pro paces the Amerks in goals (3) and points (6) through his first six games of the season and ranks among the AHL's top 20 goal-scorers. Additionally, he's also tied for the league lead with 27 shots after putting up a team-high eight shots Saturday against Utica.

RED-HOT REDMOND: THE SEQUEL

- The start of the 2019-20 season is just a different chapter in the same story for veteran defenseman Zach Redmond, who's currently sixth amongst all AHL blueliners in scoring after averaging nearly a point-per-game through his first five games of the season, including the game-tying goal with 13 seconds remaining in Rochester's shootout win at Hartford back on Oct. 13. The reigning Eddie Shore Award winner has collected six points (1+5) in his last 10 games dating back to last season. His four assists also tie him for fifth-most in the league among blueliners while his 17 shots rank seventh.

HAMMOND AMONG LEAGUE'S BEST

- In five appearances so far this season, Andrew Hammond shows a 3-1-1 record to go along with a 2.95 goals-against average and a .888 save percentage. He leads all AHL netminders in minutes played (305) while his three wins are tied for fourth-most in the league. He's also tied for seventh in the AHL in saves (96).

SCOUTING THE BEARS

- After starting the season with back-to-back losses, Hershey makes its only trip to Rochester having won four of its last five games. Overall, the Bears, who are in the final game of a four-game road swing, show a record of 4-2-1-0, goof for second in the AHL's Atlantic Division.

- Hershey's Mike Sgarbossa currently leads all Bears skaters as he has four goals along with four assists through the first seven games of the campaign, putting him two points off the AHL scoring lead. Sgarbossa finished the 2018-19 season tied for eighth in the AHL with a career-high 30 goals, 14 of which came on the power-play. He also produced a personal-best 35 assists while finishing tied for ninth in the league in overall scoring with 65 points in 75 games with Hershey.

- Former Amerk blueliner Erik Burgdoerfer returned to Hershey for his third stint with the Bears. He recorded 17 points (1+16) in 52 games during the 2016-17 campaign while serving as an alternate captain.

- Hershey goaltender Pheonix Copley boasts a 2-1-1 record and ranks fifth among all netminders with a 1.35 goals-against average.

SERIES NOTABLES

- Tonight's matchup marks the 459th all-time meeting between the AHL's two senior-most franchises with Rochester holding a 191-213-54 lifetime record against Hershey.

- The Bears have claimed five of last seven meetings dating back to the 2016-17 season while the Amerks have earned five out of a possible eight points in the four games dating back to the 2017-18 season.

- In the last five years, the Amerks show a 4-5-1-0 record against the Bears in the Flower City compared to a 1-3-1-0 at the Giant Center.

- Should Amerks forward Eric Cornel be in the lineup tonight, it would mark his 100th consecutive regular season appearance with Rochester. The streak began on Mar. 9, 2018 versus Providence.

- Rochester enters tonight's matchup leading the Eastern Conference with 36.7 shots per game while Hershey is allowing the fewest in the Conference with an average of 27.1 shots per game.

Check out the Rochester Americans Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from October 23, 2019


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